The Democrats have forgotten how to argue.
When all you have is ad hominem, straw men, name calling and lies, that’s what happens.
[Late-afternoon update]
“Leftism is generally about hatred and envy, masquerading as compassion.”
8 thoughts on “Political Discourse”
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“When all you have is ad hominem, straw men, name calling and lies, that’s what happens.”
Don’t forget the Argument from Pity. As I’ve written before, without the Argument from Pity, the Straw Man, and the Ad Hominem, they’d have no arguments at all. Wouldn’t it be nice, then, if they’d shut up, take their hands out of our pockets, get their sadomasochistic jollies in a leather bar–and leave the rest of us the hell alone?
“When all you have is ad hominem, straw men, name calling and lies, that’s what happens.”
Senator Elizabeth Warren, with respect to the criticism you are getting from the President, I think you should just take a number and wait in line with the rest of us . . .
The “Argument from Authority” is also used rampantly. Except there’s sufficient tunnel-vision that it’s always “Argument from -my- Authority”.
Like “Mann says temperature is X”. Direct observation of thermometer -> “You aren’t an expert”. Statistical efforts -> “You aren’t in the right field”. Actual credentialed expert -> “That’s cherry-picking.”
It all boils down to -you- (or they) are not -my- expert. And (the speaker) is unable to do direct observation or assemble the evidence themselves – just parroting “The Authority”.
You can do the same thing with pretty much anything-said-by-Krugman.
Elizabeth Warren’s “status as a paladin of progressive principle…” Wow! Alliterative, ain’t he? He’s sure no Hemingway.
Oh, wait…
Oh come on. When the most powerful media machine on the planet is 90 percent in your pocket, logical arguments are wholly superfluous. Why bother to learn self defense if you’ve got 4 goons with sub machine guns protecting you 24/7?
Is it time for Bob to come by and explain to us the difference between thugs and goons?
Or else come by with a link to some article on an entirely different subject. “Say, not to sidetrack the conversation, but were you guys aware that . . . .”
If there were a formal “Argumentum ad Sidetrackus,” Bob would be its poster boy.
Don’t forget they also control education. They can abort their own kids if they want and still convert yours.